ENGLISH Original: RUSSIAN Delegation of the Russian Federation

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

ENGLISH Original: RUSSIAN Delegation of the Russian Federation PC.DEL/97/18 1 February 2018 ENGLISH Original: RUSSIAN Delegation of the Russian Federation STATEMENT BY MR. ALEXANDER LUKASHEVICH, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, AT THE 1174th MEETING OF THE OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL 1 February 2018 In response to the address by the Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Mr. Chairperson, I should like to take this opportunity to express our support for the successful OSCE conference on anti-Semitism, which was held in Rome on 29 January. Mr. Galizia, We thank you for your insightful address. Seventy-three years ago Red Army soldiers liberated the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, also known as Oświęcim. In 2005, the United Nations officially proclaimed 27 January International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. I should also like to recall that on 27 January we marked the 74th anniversary of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the Nazi siege. This was yet another act of heroism by Soviet soldiers, before whom we bow our heads. Soviet troops brought a halt to one of the “death factories” in which up to 4 million people, including around a million Jews, had been systematically exterminated. All told, more than 6 million people became victims of the Holocaust. For the peoples of Russia, as for the other peoples of the multi-ethnic Soviet Union, who sacrificed more than 26 million lives for victory in the Second World War, the preservation of the historical memory of these terrible events remains a national responsibility. Jews themselves made a significant contribution to the victory over Nazism. Over half a million Jews fought in the ranks of the Red Army and more than 40,000 Jews joined partisan units. In that connection, I should like to remember the heroic feat of a Red Army lieutenant named Alexander Pechersky. Under his command, an uprising was organized in the Sobibor extermination camp on 14 October 1943 – the only successful uprising at a camp in the history of the Second World War. The 75th anniversary of that event will be marked this year. Russia will continue working to ensure that its historically justified right to PCOEW7422 Translation by OSCE Language Services - 2 - PC.DEL/97/18 1 February 2018 contribute to the international project to modernize the museum and memorial at the site of the camp be respected. Remembrance Week is held each year in Russia during the days of mourning for the victims of the Holocaust. One of its events this year was the “Yellow Stars” gala concert organized in Moscow by the Russian Jewish Congress with the support of the Moscow City Government and Israel’s Nativ Liaison Bureau. All of the funds raised will be given to the “Restoring Dignity” project, under which 26 monuments to the victims of the Holocaust are to be erected in Russia in 2018. The cornerstone for the first of these – a memorial to resistance fighters in Nazi camps and ghettos – was laid by Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar on 29 January. “The Holocaust: Destruction, Liberation and Salvation” historical exhibition was opened at the Federation Council (the upper house of the Russian Parliament). This exhibition was also recently presented at the UN Headquarters in New York by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov. The high point of the events was a visit to Moscow by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 29 January timed to coincide with the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. The leaders of Russia and Israel visited the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Centre and toured the exhibition “Sobibor: Victorious over Death”. Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu also attended the first screening of the Russian film “Sobibor”. Incidentally, Mr. Netanyahu said that “Jewish life in Russia is thriving, largely owing to the support of the authorities.” I should also like to point out that Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs said in its anti-Semitism report for 2017 that last year saw a continuation of the downward trend in the number of anti-Semitic attacks recorded in Russia. I should also quote the President of the World Jewish Congress Ronald Lauder, who said three days ago when addressing the OSCE conference in Rome on anti-Semitism that “Russia is one of the safest places for Jewish people to live in, and this is thanks to Vladimir Putin.” Crimes like the Holocaust must not be repeated. Attempts to rewrite the history of the Second World War, to justify the crimes committed by the Nazis and their collaborators, and to give equal rights to victims and executioners, pave the way for the revival of a deadly ideology. A creeping rehabilitation of Nazism is under way in a number of OSCE States. These activities challenge the post-war security architecture, which is based on the Charter of the United Nations, the rulings of the Nuremberg Tribunal and other inviolable international legal documents. Of particular concern is the situation in Ukraine, where the banners of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, which participated in the mass and brutal murders of Jews and people from other ethnic groups, including the notorious Volhynia massacre, are being raised again. Their criminal leaders – Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevych – are hailed as national heroes. Members of the Galicia Waffen SS Volunteer Division are celebrated. The sacrilegious law on the status of participants in the Second World War, which exonerates the Nazis, entered into force in Latvia today. Marches by Latvian Legion veterans take place every year. - 3 - PC.DEL/97/18 1 February 2018 Monuments to members of the SS have been erected in Estonia, and gatherings of SS veterans and their followers are held annually. Monuments to Red Army soldiers who gave their lives to stop the Holocaust are being destroyed and desecrated in Poland. All of this defiles the memory of the many millions of victims of Nazism and fascism. The President of the European Jewish Congress Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor spoke about the resurgence of Nazism in European Union countries in his recent statement at the International Holocaust Remembrance Day commemorative event at the European Parliament. Russia submits a resolution on combating the glorification of Nazism to the UN General Assembly every year. The number of co-sponsors of this resolution is growing steadily. In 2017, only two countries – the United States of America and Ukraine – under spurious pretexts voted against condemning those who exterminated Jews and other ethnic groups. This reveals the true essence of the policies of the authorities in Washington and Kyiv. In conclusion, I should like to point out that it is our sacred duty not only to honour the memory of the innocent victims but also to do our utmost to prevent such tragedies from happening again. Thank you for your attention. .
Recommended publications
  • An End to Antisemitism!
    Confronting Antisemitism in Modern Media, the Legal and Political Worlds An End to Antisemitism! Edited by Armin Lange, Kerstin Mayerhofer, Dina Porat, and Lawrence H. Schiffman Volume 5 Confronting Antisemitism in Modern Media, the Legal and Political Worlds Edited by Armin Lange, Kerstin Mayerhofer, Dina Porat, and Lawrence H. Schiffman ISBN 978-3-11-058243-7 e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-067196-4 e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-3-11-067203-9 DOI https://10.1515/9783110671964 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. For details go to https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Library of Congress Control Number: 2021931477 Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available on the Internet at http://dnb.dnb.de. © 2021 Armin Lange, Kerstin Mayerhofer, Dina Porat, Lawrence H. Schiffman, published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston The book is published with open access at www.degruyter.com Cover image: Illustration by Tayler Culligan (https://dribbble.com/taylerculligan). With friendly permission of Chicago Booth Review. Printing and binding: CPI books GmbH, Leck www.degruyter.com TableofContents Preface and Acknowledgements IX LisaJacobs, Armin Lange, and Kerstin Mayerhofer Confronting Antisemitism in Modern Media, the Legal and Political Worlds: Introduction 1 Confronting Antisemitism through Critical Reflection/Approaches
    [Show full text]
  • Confronting Antisemitism in Modern Media, the Legal and Political Worlds an End to Antisemitism!
    Confronting Antisemitism in Modern Media, the Legal and Political Worlds An End to Antisemitism! Edited by Armin Lange, Kerstin Mayerhofer, Dina Porat, and Lawrence H. Schiffman Volume 5 Confronting Antisemitism in Modern Media, the Legal and Political Worlds Edited by Armin Lange, Kerstin Mayerhofer, Dina Porat, and Lawrence H. Schiffman ISBN 978-3-11-058243-7 e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-067196-4 e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-3-11-067203-9 DOI https://10.1515/9783110671964 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. For details go to https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Library of Congress Control Number: 2021931477 Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available on the Internet at http://dnb.dnb.de. © 2021 Armin Lange, Kerstin Mayerhofer, Dina Porat, Lawrence H. Schiffman, published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston The book is published with open access at www.degruyter.com Cover image: Illustration by Tayler Culligan (https://dribbble.com/taylerculligan). With friendly permission of Chicago Booth Review. Printing and binding: CPI books GmbH, Leck www.degruyter.com TableofContents Preface and Acknowledgements IX LisaJacobs, Armin Lange, and Kerstin Mayerhofer Confronting Antisemitism in Modern Media, the Legal and Political Worlds: Introduction 1 Confronting Antisemitism through Critical Reflection/Approaches
    [Show full text]
  • Sobibór: Sobibór Holocaust Propaganda and Reality Sobibór
    BARNES REVIEW HOLOCAUST HANDBOOK SERIES • VOLUME 19 19 BARNES REVIEW HOLOCAUST HANDBOOK SERIES • VOLUME 19 SOBIBÓR: SOBIBÓR HOLOCAUST PROPAGANDA AND REALITY SOBIBÓR HOLOCAUST PROPAGANDA AND REALITY n May 2009, 89-year-old Cleveland autoworker John Demjanjuk was de- ported from the United States to Germany, where he was arrested and HOLOCAUST PROPAGANDA AND REALITY Icharged with aiding and abetting murder in at least 27,900 cases. These mass murders were allegedly perpetrated at the Sobibór “death” camp in east- ern Poland. According to mainstream historiography, 170,000 to 250,000 Jews were exterminated there in gas chambers between 1942 and 1943. The corpses were buried in mass graves and later incinerated on an open-air pyre. But do these serious claims really stand up to scrutiny? In Sobibor: Holocaust Propaganda and Reality, the official version of what transpired at Sobibór is put under the microscope. It is shown that the histori- ography of the camp is not based on solid evidence, but on the selective use of eyewitness testimonies, which in turn are riddled with contradictions and out- right absurdities. This book could exonerate John Demjanjuk. For more than half a century, mainstream Holocaust historians made no real attempts to muster material evidence for their claims about Sobibór. Finally, in the 21st century, professional historians carried out an archeological survey at the former camp site. Their findings—and the findings of many oth- ers—are here presented in detail and fatal implications for the extermination camp theory are revealed. SOBIBOR: HOLOCAUST PROPAGANDA AND REALITY (softcover, 434 pages, indexed, illustrated, #536, $25 minus 10% for TBR subscribers) can be ordered from TBR BOOK CLUB, P.O.
    [Show full text]
  • Market Intelligence for Russia and CIS 1 1/2010 GIA Geographies White Paper Paper White GIA Geographies
    1/2010 Market Intelligence for Paper White GIA Geographies Russia and CIS GIA Geographies White Paper 1/2010 “Now it is a very good time to en- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ter into the Russian market. There The wealthiest market per capita of all BRIC countries, Russia com- bines the best of Europe and Asia. Together with the Commonwealth of are some niches and free space in Independent States (CIS), it represents a market of around 300 million the market due to the crisis. There consumers and offers many opportunities not only for multinationals but also for middle-size players. is market share to be captured. According to my estimations this The best time to enter the Russian market is probably now, when compa- nies can look for opportunities during periods of turmoil and crisis. Pos- easy-to-enter market situation will sibly this will be the last chance for a while for good expansion opportuni- last a year or two...” ties. In one or two years, the window will close and it will be necessary to either invest heavily at the entry stage or develop more slowly. “...Mentally and culturally Rus- Mentally and culturally Russian people are Europeans, which means more comfortable conditions for Western businesses if compared to some other sian people are Europeans, which developing markets. means more comfortable conditions Russia is not only a big market; it offers also huge intellectual and creative for Western businesses here.” potential for those looking for R&D and innovations. Along with traditional intelligence challenges for emerging markets, spe- See below more details about doing cific issues face an entrant to the Russian market: business in Russia, from an interview • Russian market having been relatively open, the competition is rather tough by now, even though the crisis has opened up niches with Vsevolod Gavrilov, • specific economic structures and business models remain as a Head of Russian Office, handicap from Soviet times Volvo Penta Corporation Deep market analysis and a sophisticated approach to the market entry strategy are required from newcomers.
    [Show full text]
  • Rus Sian Jews Between the Reds and the Whites, 1917– 1920
    Rus sian Jews Between the Reds and the Whites, 1917– 1920 —-1 —0 —+1 137-48292_ch00_1P.indd i 8/19/11 8:37 PM JEWISH CULTURE AND CONTEXTS Published in association with the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies of the University of Pennsylvania David B. Ruderman, Series Editor Advisory Board Richard I. Cohen Moshe Idel Alan Mintz Deborah Dash Moore Ada Rapoport- Albert Michael D. Swartz A complete list of books in the series is available from the publisher. -1— 0— +1— 137-48292_ch00_1P.indd ii 8/19/11 8:37 PM Rus sian Jews Between the Reds and the Whites, 1917– 1920 Oleg Budnitskii Translated by Timothy J. Portice university of pennsylvania press philadelphia —-1 —0 —+1 137-48292_ch00_1P.indd iii 8/19/11 8:37 PM Originally published as Rossiiskie evrei mezhdu krasnymi i belymi, 1917– 1920 (Moscow: ROSSPEN, 2005) Publication of this volume was assisted by a grant from the Lucius N. Littauer Foundation. Copyright © 2012 University of Pennsylvania Press All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations used for purposes of review or scholarly citation, none of this book may be reproduced in any form by any means without written permission from the publisher. Published by University of Pennsylvania Press Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104- 4112 www .upenn .edu/ pennpress Printed in the United States of America on acid- free paper 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 -1— Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data 0— ISBN 978- 0- 8122- 4364- 2 +1— 137-48292_ch00_1P.indd iv 8/19/11 8:37 PM In memory of my father, Vitaly Danilovich Budnitskii (1930– 1990) —-1 —0 —+1 137-48292_ch00_1P.indd v 8/19/11 8:37 PM -1— 0— +1— 137-48292_ch00_1P.indd vi 8/19/11 8:37 PM contents List of Abbreviations ix Introduction 1 Chapter 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Sweden 2020 International Religious Freedom Report
    SWEDEN 2020 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT Executive Summary The constitution protects “the freedom to practice one’s religion alone or in the company of others” and prohibits discrimination based on religion. In March, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) declined to hear the case of two midwives who said the regional hospitals, and by extension the state, had infringed on their religious beliefs and freedom of choice by denying them employment due to their opposition to abortion, which is legal in the country. In September, the Malmo Administrative Court overturned the Bromolla Municipality’s ban on prayer during working hours. In November, the Malmo Administrative Court overturned the ban on hijabs, burqas, niqabs, and other face- and hair-covering garments for students and employees in preschools and elementary schools introduced by Skurup and Staffanstorp Municipalities. In January, a government inquiry proposed a ban on the establishment of new independent religious schools, beginning in 2023, and increased oversight on existing schools having a religious orientation. The Migration Agency’s annual report, released in February, reported large regional variations in the assessment of asylum cases of Christian converts from the Middle East and elsewhere. Some politicians from the Sweden Democrats, the country’s third largest political party, made denigrating comments about Jews and Muslims. Prime Minister Stefan Lofven and other politicians condemned anti-Semitism and religious intolerance. The Prime Minister announced his country’s endorsement of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism, including its list of examples of anti- Semitism. The government continued funding programs aimed at combating racism and anti-Semitism and reducing hate crimes, including those motivated by religion.
    [Show full text]
  • Prepared by the European Jewish Congress, Secretariat and Member of the Advisory 2016 Board of the European Parliament Working Group on Antisemitism (WGAS)
    Prepared by the European Jewish Congress, Secretariat and Member of the Advisory 2016 Board of the European Parliament Working Group on Antisemitism (WGAS). Page 1 of 40 TABLE OF CONTENT I. REPORTS & POLLS .......................................................................................................... 6 AUSTRIA................................................................................................................................ 6 Antisemitic incidents in Austria up by more than 80% ........................................................... 6 FRANCE ................................................................................................................................. 6 Large dip in French Jewish emigration to Israel ..................................................................... 6 Huge fall in number of antisemitic attacks in France .............................................................. 6 Hate crimes in France down 80% this year ............................................................................. 7 Most French believe Jews responsible for rise in antisemitism................................................ 7 SPCJ statistics and analyses on antisemitism in France in 2015 .............................................. 7 More than 40% of French Jews considering “Aliyah”............................................................. 7 GERMANY ............................................................................................................................. 8 Germany to force Facebook,
    [Show full text]
  • USHMM Individual Profile Cards
    INDIVIDUAL PROFILE CARDS UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM Faiga (Fanny) Orenbach was born into an Orthodox Jewish family in Łódź, Poland. The family moved to Brussels, Belgium when she was a young child, where her parents became active in the Jewish community. Fanny earned a art degree and designed clothing for the Royal House of Belgium. In May 1938, Fanny married Jacques Aizenberg, and less than a year later, gave birth to a daughter, Josiane. Germany invaded Belgium on May 10, 1940. Jacques left immediately to join the military, and after Belgium was defeated, he evacuated to England. Although she was Jewish, Fanny soon became actively involved in the resistance movement, hiding refugees in her attic. In October 1942, a few months after Fanny’s father was arrested, Fanny put Josiane in hiding. Fanny and her mother, Rivke, also went into hiding, but the Gestapo discovered and arrested them in 1943. They were beaten and taken to the Mechelen (Malines) transit camp. After ten days in Mechelen, Fanny and Rivke were deported to Auschwitz. Upon arrival at Auschwitz, Fanny and Rivke were placed in separate lines. Fanny Orenbach Aizenberg Fanny never saw her mother again. Fanny found encouragement from a group of six women. Together, they endured beatings, forced labor in a grenade factory, cruel and painful medical experiments, and the many other Born 1916 horrors of Auschwitz. Łódź, Poland In January 1945, the SS evacuated Auschwitz, sending Fanny and tens of thousands of prisoners on a forced march in frozen temperatures. After four months, Fanny and the other survivors were liberated near the Elbe River by the Soviet Red Army.
    [Show full text]
  • Communism's Jewish Question
    Communism’s Jewish Question Europäisch-jüdische Studien Editionen European-Jewish Studies Editions Edited by the Moses Mendelssohn Center for European-Jewish Studies, Potsdam, in cooperation with the Center for Jewish Studies Berlin-Brandenburg Editorial Manager: Werner Treß Volume 3 Communism’s Jewish Question Jewish Issues in Communist Archives Edited and introduced by András Kovács An electronic version of this book is freely available, thanks to the support of libra- ries working with Knowledge Unlatched. KU is a collaborative initiative designed to make high quality books Open Access. More information about the initiative can be found at www.knowledgeunlatched.org This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 License, as of February 23, 2017. For details go to http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. ISBN 978-3-11-041152-2 e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-041159-1 e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-3-11-041163-8 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A CIP catalog record for this book has been applied for at the Library of Congress. Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available in the Internet at http://dnb.dnb.de. © 2017 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston Cover illustration: Presidium, Israelite National Assembly on February 20-21, 1950, Budapest (pho- tographer unknown), Archive “Az Izraelita Országos Gyűlés fényképalbuma” Typesetting:
    [Show full text]
  • List of the Archives of Organizations and Bodies Held at the Central
    1 Guide to the Archival Record Groups and Collections Notation Record group / Collection Dates Scanning Quantity 1. Central Offices of the World Zionist Organization and of the Jewish Agency for Palestine/Israel abroad Z1 Central Zionist Office, Vienna 1897-1905 scanned 13.6 Z2 Central Zionist Office, Cologne 1905-1911 scanned 11.8 not Z3 Central Zionist Office, Berlin 1911-1920 31 scanned The Zionist Organization/The Jewish Agency for partially Z4 1917-1955 215.2 Palestine/Israel - Central Office, London scanned The Jewish Agency for Palestine/Israel - American Section 1939 not Z5 (including Palestine Office and Zionist Emergency 137.2 onwards scanned Council), New York Nahum Goldmann's offices in New York and Geneva. See Z6 1936-1982 scanned 33.2 also Office of Nahum Goldmann, S80 not Z7 Mordecai Kirshenbloom's Office 1957-1968 7.8 scanned 2. Departments of the Executive of the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency for Palestine/Israel in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa not S1 Treasury Department 1918-1978 147.7 scanned not S33 Treasury Department, Budget Section 1947-1965 12.5 scanned not S105 Treasury Department, Section for Financial Information 1930-1959 12.8 scanned partially S6 Immigration Department 1919-1980 167.5 scanned S3 Immigration Department, Immigration Office, Haifa 1921-1949 scanned 10.6 S4 Immigration Department, Immigration Office, Tel Aviv 1920-1948 scanned 21.5 not S120 Absorption Department, Section for Yemenite Immigrants 1950-1957 1.7 scanned S84 Absorption Department, Jerusalem Regional Section 1948-1960 scanned 8.3 2 Guide to the Archival Record Groups and Collections not S112 Absorption Department, Housing Division 1951-1967 4 scanned not S9 Department of Labour 1921-1948 25.7 scanned Department of Labour, Section for the Supervision of not S10 1935-1947 3.5 Labour Exchanges scanned Agricultural Settlement Department.
    [Show full text]
  • Die Akte Sobibor
    Jürgen Graf, Thomas Kues, Carlo Mattogno DIE AKTE SOBIBOR Dem Andenken an Jürgen Rieger gewidmet INHALT Teil 1. Die gnadenlose Hatz auf den greisen John Demjanjuk ...................................................................... 1 Teil 2. Das offizielle Sobibor-Bild und die zeitgenössischen Dokumente ......................................................... 5 Teil 3. Der Schlüsselzeuge .................................................................................................................... 11 Teil 4. Die Entstehung des Mythos ......................................................................................................... 18 Teil 5. Das Lager Sobibor in der Darstellung der offiziellen Geschichtsschreibung ......................................... 23 Teil 6. Julius Schelvis’ Standardwerk über Sobibor. Eine kritische Analyse ................................................... 27 Teil 7. Zeugen-Panorama ...................................................................................................................... 32 Teil 8. Toivi Blatt, sein Tagebuch und sein Gespräch mit Karl August Frenzel ............................................... 37 Teil 9. Die „Gaskammern“ von Sobibor im Lichte der „Augenzeugenberichte“ und „historischen Forschungen“ . 42 Teil 10. Die beiden Sobibor-Prozesse von 1950 ....................................................................................... 46 Teil 11. Der Sobibor-Prozeß in Hagen (1965/1966) .................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Whoever Saves a Life, Saves Humanity
    Vol. 36-No.1 ISSN 0892-1571 September/October 2009-Tishri/Cheshvan 5770 THE AMERICAN & INTERNATIONAL SOCIETIES FOR YAD VASHEM ANNUAL TRIBUTE DINNER WHOEVERWHOEVER SAVESSAVES AA LIFE,LIFE, SAVESSAVES HUMANITYHUMANITY GUEST SPEAKER ISAAC HERZOG STATE OF ISRAEL MINISTER OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND SERVICES saac Herzog, son of former Israeli IPresident Chaim Herzog, was born in Israel in 1960. He completed his army service with the rank of major (res.). He holds a degree in Law and is an attorney by profession. Isaac Herzog served as Secretary of the Economic-Social Council (1988-1990), as Government Secretary (1999-2001), and as Chairman of the Anti-Drug Authority (2000-2003). Elected to the 16th Knesset in 2003, as a member of the Labor Party, he has served as a member of the Knesset Finance, Internal Affairs and Environment, and Anti- Drug Abuse Committees, as well as Israel Labor Party Parliamentary Group Whip. He has chaired the War against Drugs Lobby in Israel, the Israel Tourism Lobby, the Lobby for Youth in Israel, and the Municipal Lobby. In January 2005 Isaac Herzog was first appointed to a cabinet position in the Israeli government, and served as Minister of Housing and Construction. In this capacity he advanced important reforms and made significant achievements. In May 2006, he was appointed Minister of Tourism, and was successful in handling the acute crisis that faced the tourism industry in Israel as a result of the Second Lebanon War. In March 2007 he was appointed Minister of Social Affairs and Services & Minister of the Jewish Diaspora, Society and the fight against Anti-Semitism.
    [Show full text]